A. Conrad Bareford III, 56, of Mathews, has announced his candidacy for the position of Mathews County Commonwealth’s Attorney in the Nov. 7 election. He is running as a Republican.
Bareford said if elected as the county’s chief enforcement officer, making decisions on what crimes to prosecute, he will be focusing on five problem areas in the county: drug dealing; school issues of bullying, drugs, guns in school, and disobedience; fraud in online scams; road safety; and police training.
“Drugs are here to stay,” said Bareford, pointing out that there will always be “stronger and better ones.” He said the county needs to be aware and vigilant, since drug problems “will spill over from neighboring communities.”
Bareford said the county has to pay per capita costs to lock people up in jail, and that jails are filling up. While some people deserve to be locked away forever, he said, people shouldn’t be over-charged for their offenses, and the prosecutor’s office needs to avoid vengeful or vindictive prosecutions.
Transparency in office is needed, he said, because “justice is all about reaching the truth, and we can’t reach the truth behind closed doors.”
Mathews has an excellent police force, said Bareford, with highly trained officers and some who are even over-qualified for the job they’re doing. They operate behind the scenes, as they should, he said, rather than “standing on street corners.” He also praised the judges that try cases, saying, “We’ve got an excellent judiciary. They’re intelligent, patient, and fair judges. That’s a real blessing.”
“I know what works and what doesn’t work in the Mathews courts of law,” said Bareford, pointing to his 14 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney while in private practice in Mathews, litigating everything from murder and armed robbery to sexual assaults and drug cases.
Mathews residents shouldn’t live in fear of criminal activity, said Bareford, and he promised that “when a criminal prosecutor file hits my desk, it will be a dead-end for the criminal.”
“I want people to feel a sense of safety and security as much as possible in their homes and businesses and on the streets,” he said.
Bareford said it will be his job not just to protect residents from crime, but also from intrusion by the government “when it is necessary.” He said he filed suit against former Governor Ralph Northam in 2020 when Northam issued his temporary stay at home order at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The case, alleging violation of several rights under the Constitution, was removed from state court and sent to federal court as a matter of jurisdiction. It was dismissed in federal court, but Bareford said a similar case was upheld.
A Chesterfield native, Bareford began working as an attorney in Mathews in 2009, shortly after receiving his Juris Doctor degree from Regent University. He also holds a bachelor of science degree in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Bareford moved to Mathews in 2016. Since then, his mother, Susan Prince, and siblings, Jason Bareford and Su-anna Bareford, have moved here, as well. He is a member of Spring Hill Baptist Church, is the current president of the Mathews Lions Club and the Middle Peninsula Bar Association, and is a member of the Mathews Economic Development Authority and the Mathews Main Street Committee. He is also a past member of the board of directors of the regional HeadStart program and is a mentor for recovering addicts and alcoholics. For several months, he has been assisting with background information and paperwork in the King and Queen office of the Commonwealth Attorney in order to gain knowledge of prosecutorial procedure.
In his spare time, Bareford enjoys working with farm equipment and spending time with his five boxers, all rescue dogs. Bareford’s campaign website is conradbareford.com.
Bareford is opposed by independent candidate T. Marie Walls.